Portable crucible-furnace.



M. HARVEY.

PORTABLE GRUGIBLB PURNACB.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24,1911.

Patented May 27, 1913.

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M. HARVEY. PORTABLE GRUGIBLE FURNAE. APPLIOATION FILED JAN.24,1911.

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M. HARVEY.

PORTABLE GRUCIBLE PURNAGE. PPLIGATION FILED JAN.2V4.1911.

11,062,970. y Patented-May 27,1913.

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M. HARVEY.

PORTABLE GBUGIBLB FURNAGE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.24,1911.

Patented May 27, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANMRAPH C0wAsHlNu'r0N. D. c.

M. HARVEY.

PORTABLE GRUGIBLE FURNAGE.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.24, 1911.

Patented May 27,- 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.y

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cc.,wASHlNuToN, D. C.

MATTHEW HARVEY, .OF WALSALL, ENGLAND.

PORTABLE- CRUCIBLE-FURNACI'E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27, 1913.

Application filed January 24, 1911. Serial No. 604,382.

VTo all w71 om it may concern:

.or for the purpose of turning the furnace upside down for examinationand cleaning of the blast passages or for relining of the bottom of thefurnace.

My present invention comprises the improvements hereinafter describedwhereby a Crucible furnace of the type before referred to is adapted formelting iron and steel or other metals which require a high temperature.

I will describe my improvements by referring to the accompanyingdrawings on which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portable Cruciblefurnace constructed according to my present invention; Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the same, such parts only being shown as are necessary toillustrate my ins vention; Fig. 3 is also a front elevation of theport-able Crucible furnace removed from the feed heater part; Fig. 4 isa sectional side elevation of the main portions of the said portableCrucible furnace; Fig. 5 is a plan of the same; Fig. 6 is a sectionalelevation of part of the same taken on line X X of Fig. 7, which is asectional'plan of the furnace taken on line Y Y 'of Fig. 6.

In carrying out my present invention the furnace proper A is made withone preferably circular metallic shell 1 carrying an annular bottomplate 2 andash pan 3 which latter is hinged to the annular bottom plate2 and furnished with suitable fastenings not shown on my drawings. Fixeda short distance above the annular bottom plate 2 there is an annularblast plate 4 made with radial blast passages 5 through which the blastpasses to the interior of the furnace at the bottom of the Crucible asindicated by the arrows in Figs. 4 and 6. This annular blast plate 4 hasan upwardly projecting rim 6 of smaller diameter than the shell 1, thusleaving an annular blast space 7 be` tween the upwardly projecting rim 6and the shell 1. At the top of the rim 6 there is a flange S which isfixed to the interior of the shell 1 above the blast inlet pipe 9 sothat the annular space 7 between the rim 6 and the shell 1 togetherwiththe space within the annular bottom plate 2 and ash pan 3 forms ablast chamber from which there are any convenient number, say four, ofupwardly projecting blast holes or passages l0 (see Figs. 6 and 7 in theVfurnace lining which communicate with tangential twyer holes 12 in thebrick lining 11 through which twyers 12 the blast passes to the coke inthe annular space 18 around the Crucible 14 so that by this means theblast is directed on to the fuel at about half way up the Crucible 14 aswell as through the holes 5 on to the'bottom of Athe Crucible.

corresponding with the twyers 12 and covered by suitable talc covers 15.The blast issuing up the vertical' blast passages 10 through the twyers12 is regulated by suitable twyer cocks each of which can convenientlyconsist of a hollow taper horizonf tal plug 16 adapted to turn in acorresponding taper tubular body 17 which is fixed in a hole in theshell 1 and projects into the iirebrick lining 11, this bodyhaving anVinlet hole at its lower side corresponding with the blast' inletpassages 10. There is also a corresponding hole 18 in the side of theplug 16 which latter at its outer end is closed by a talc cover 15. Theplug 16 has a side handle 19 by which it can be turned so as either toallow the blast to pass through the hole 18 along the twyer passage intothe j In they v outer shell 1 there are sight or pricking holes furnaceor to partially or wholly cut off the blast.

The annular blast plate 4 carries the lirebrick lining 13 between whichand the outer casing 1 there is a packing of asbestos 19a or othersuitable bad heat conductor. The twyers 12 are by preference arranged intangential positions as shown in Fig. 7, so

that the blast will circulate around the interior walls of the meltingChamber 13 instead of impinging directly on to the cruCible 14.Removably fixed to the bottom of the annular blast plate 4 there is adoor or ash plate 20 carrying the refractory block 21 which carries theCrucible stand 122.

The Crucible which is used in the furnace is by preference of theordinary kind made with one pouring spout 23 which as usual fits in aCorresponding recess in the spout brick 24 at the top of the firebricklining, the spout groove in t-he spout brick being made to slopedownwardly sufficiently to allow the slag to be blown out through thepouring hole 26. Or if desired the Crucible can be made with two spoutsone of which will be at the back opposite to the spout 23 and forming aslag spout arranged at a slightly lower level than the pouring spout 23and in this Case the key brick 27 atl the back of the furnace will bemade with a slag hole so that the slag can be blown out through t-hishole instead of being blown out through the spout brick This arrangementof the Crucible with two spouts however forms no part of my invention.

At the top of the furnace proper A 1 provide a feed heater comprising acircular casing 28 lined with firebricks 29 and forming a continuationto, but separate from, the firebrick lining 11 of the furnace proper A,the lining 29 being carried by suitable key bricks as will be readilyunderstood. In this lining 29 of the extension part 2S there is a feedheater cylinder 30 which may be part of an old Crucible arrangedimmediately above the Crucible 14 and carrying the metal which is notyet melted and which is to melt and work down into the crucible. Thereis an annular fuel space 31 around this feed heater cylinder 30 andwithin the firebrick lining 29, and this space is filled with a Chargeof Coke or other fuel, which as the fuel burns away around the Crucible14 is heated thereby and gradually falls down into the annular space 13around the crucible and thus no cold fuel comes in cont-act with theCrucible 14 and the danger of the latter cracking through contraction isobviated and the life of the Crucible is considerably prolonged. It willbe understood that the bricks 24, 27, are merely key bricks to maintainthe Crucible 14 in its central position and that at both sides of thesekey bricks and the Crucible there is Lan almost semi-Circular fuel spacedown! which the fuel can pass from the annular space 31 to the space 13.The feed heater cylinder 30 is held in place by the key bricks 32, atthe sides of which the annular space 13 opens up into two arc shapedfuel holes which are closed by the two arc shaped lids 34, 35, which Canbe opened so as to open for the insertion of fuel into the annular space31 and so on down to the fuel space 13 as aforesaid. The two'lids 34,35, are each made with an outstanding back arm 36 which at 37 is ointedto the end of the Cross bar 38, adapted to be lifted by a lever 39 fixedto a short rock shaft 40 on the other end of -which is a hand lever 41so that by depressing this hand lever 41 the cross bar 3S and the parts36 together with the lids 34, 35, will be lifted slightly so that one orboth of them can then be turned about the joint 37 shown by the dottedline Fig. 5 to admit of the insertion of the fuel. as aforesaid. 42 is ahinged lid for Closing the top of the feed heater 30 and which can beopened for inserting the metal therein. The said feed tube shell 28 ismade with a tubular back arm 43 lined with fire-brick at 44 and madewith a top outlet 45 at its back end so as to form a flue for thefurnace communicating with the annular space 13.'

rIhis arm 43 is Carried by side pins forming trunnions adapted to turnin bearings 47 fixed on a bracket 48 bolted to the wall 49 so that thewhole of the casing 23 with the feed heater 3() and other parts carriedthereby can be turned up as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, out ofthe way to permit of the furnace proper A being removed and tilted forpouring. The back top out-let 45 may be arranged to match the bottominlet of a stationary flue or chimney 46 against which the said back topoutlet fits when the feed tube 30 is in its normal horizontal positionas shown by the full lines in Fig. 1 and as in Figs. 2 and 4. In orderto increase the draft the .said flue or chimney 46 may be fitted with asteam supply pipe and nozzle 50 to deliver a jet of steam up the Chimney46 so that thus the furnace can be worked either with a forced draftthrough the blast pipe 9, or with a natural draft without the blast pipeand with the Chimney 46, or with an induced draft caused by the steamjet through the nozzle 50.

The feed heater 30 and the casing 2S and other parts on that side of thetrunnions 47 not counter-balanced by the back part of the flue 43 can becounter-balanced by any Convenient means as by the Counter-balanceweight 51 which through the chain 52 passing over the overhead pulley isconnected at 54 to the casing 28, the weight 51 being such as tomaintain the said parts turned up about the trunnions 47 as shown by thedotted lines in Fig. 1. By employing the feed heater 3() with its Casing2S and parts arranged as above described it will be seen that no fumesor gas as from the coke can possibly touch the metal in the crucible 14.The said tubular arm 43 through which the heat passes from the furnaceproper A to the Chimney 46 may if desired be made with a removable lidsuch as 55 and adapted to hold one or more intermediate pots or ladlesto hold the same ready for pouring the melted metalv into them from theCrucible 14 and thus save the necessity of using a separate furnace forheating these intermediate pots or ladles.

56 isa lid hinged at 57 to the top of the casing 1 and furnished with anoperating hand lever 58 by which the lid 56 can (when the portable partA is removed from underneath the casing 28) be turned up Vover the topof the Crucible so as to Cover the same. This cover is shown partlyturned up in this way in Fig. 3.

The front of the casing 28 is fitted with a plumbago block 59 in whichthere is an inclined spy hole 60 directed toward the spout and in to theCrucible to enable anyone to see how the metal is melting in theCrucible and this spy hole 60 is adapted to be closed by a suitable door6l.

The accompanying drawings illustrate what I consider to be the best wayof carrying my invention into practice but it is to be understood thatmy invention is not limited to the precise details shown as these may bevaried to some extent without departing from the nature of my invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is vl. In a Crucible furnace, an outer shell having an annular blastchamber, a plurality of twyers passing tangentially through said shell,and having communication with said blast passage, and Cocks located inthe outer ends of said t-wyers regulating the blast therethrough, saidcocks being provided with means for rotating them, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a Crucible furnace, an outer shell having an annular blastchamber, a plurality of twyers passing tangentially through said shelland having Communication with said blast chamber, and hollovv7 cockslocated in the outer ends of said twyers for regulating the blasttherethrough, said cocks being provided wit-h means for rotating them,the outerends of said hollow cocks being provided with a transparentClosure, whereby the Cocks will serve as sight holes.

3. In combination a portable Crucible furnace, a feedy heater restingupon and disco-nnected from the upper end ofk said furnace, a chimney atone side of said furnace having' an open lower end, said feed heaterhaving a horizontal portion extending beneathy the lower end of thechimney and normally bearing against the'under side thereof, horizont-altrunnions for said horizontally extending port-ion, and means forswinging said feed heater upon said trunnions, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification int-he presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MATTHEW HARVEY. Witnesses:

CHARLES BoswoRTH KETLEY, IVALTER BARTLAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Iatents. Washington, D. C.

